If the officer making service certifies that he is unable, after diligent effort, to have service made as provided in Article 1261, then the service may be made personally on the secretary of state, or on a person in his office designated to receive service of process on corporations. The secretary of state shall forward this citation to the corporation at its last known address.
Art. 1262.Same; Secretary of State
Book II. Ordinary Proceedings · Title II. Citation and Service of Process · Chapter 3. Service On Legal and Quasi Legal Persons · Amendment history unavailable · Last verified July 30, 2026
In one sentenceArticle 1262 allows service on a corporation to be made personally on the secretary of state, or a designated employee in that office, once the process server certifies an inability to complete service under Article 1261 despite diligent effort, and requires the secretary of state to forward the citation to the corporation's last known address.
Full Text of Art. 1262
Plain-English Summary
Article 1262 is the backstop for corporate service. When every avenue Article 1261 provides has failed — no reachable registered agent, no locatable officer or director, no employee found at a place of business — the process server can certify that failure after diligent effort, and service can then be made directly on the secretary of state or the specific person in that office designated to receive service for corporations.
Service on the secretary of state doesn't leave the corporation without notice. The statute requires the secretary of state to forward the citation to the corporation at its last known address, so the corporation still gets a mailed copy even though the service that satisfies the legal requirement happened at the secretary of state's office rather than at the corporation itself.
This mechanism keeps a corporation from evading suit by letting its registered agent lapse or making itself hard to find. Louisiana requires diligent effort first, but once that effort has failed, the plaintiff isn't stuck without a path forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can a corporation be served through the secretary of state?
Only after the process server certifies that diligent effort to serve the corporation under Article 1261's other methods has failed.
Does the corporation still find out about the lawsuit if it's served this way?
Yes. The secretary of state is required to forward the citation to the corporation at its last known address after being served.
Who at the secretary of state's office can accept this service?
The secretary of state personally, or a person in that office specifically designated to receive service of process on corporations.
Source & verification. Article text is reproduced verbatim from
the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure (legis.la.gov). Enacted by the Louisiana Legislature.
Last verified July 30, 2026.
· Official source
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